g4x skimmer and mods

[Folta]

Ok, time for me to buy my skimmer. I'm going with the ASM G4X skimmer, with both the recirc mod as well as the gate valve mod.

 

I plan to buy from Asmskimmer.com, and have them do the recirc labor and get basically everything I need from them..

 

What do I need?

--- ASM G4X Skimmer

--- Gate Valve Mod

--- Recirc labor

--- seals ? extra pump? elbow? etc? Just want to be able to order it all at once from them. If someone could build a shopping cart for me with everyhting, on there site, that would be awesome.

 

Also, they give the option of how far down / where to drill holes.. I have no idea what I should put in for that, so need advice there too.

[ErikS]

The easiest thing would be to just call/email Rob @ asmskimmer. He provides real good customer service. I had a question about a custom ASM part - he called them & got back to me in a few hours (though it is the holiday season).

 

A couple of tips:

 

- there's no real way to determine where ASM will drill the hole for the pump. if you go here you'll see a diagram for the skimmer. The hole will either be between 8 & 10 OR between 2 & 4......no telling. This means Rob can drill the hole but it may not match up to the best fit in your sump.

 

- if you do the recirc mod you'll need to either feed it with a pump or a direct feed from the overflow.....again Rob can drill the hole but will it match the best location for your sump?

 

- Gate valve mod is just PVC (1.5" for the g4x), the key is the gate valve - that's generally not available @ HD/Lowes......if you have another source?

 

That being said, if you want both the gate valve mod & the recirc mod you would need to purchase:

 

1. ASM G4X skimmer

2. Two 1" uniseals or one 1" uniseal & the feed elbow

3. Gate valve mod kit

4. Recirculation labor (includes drilling of the feed hole, you use the clock to tell him where to locate it).

 

In addition (don't think Rob sells them) you need to replace the factory 90*/pipe on the output (it's too short). You can get this @ any HD/Lowes

 

1. One 1" 90* elbow

2. 3" or less of 1" PVC pipe

 

DIY'g the recirulation is as simple as it gets. The body is extruded PVC & drills very easily with a standard holesaw (1.75" for the recirc portion).....almost no worries about cracking as it flexes a lot.

 

Sure I can't interest ya in a slightly used G4+? Same pump with just a slightly shorter body it's got both mods

[Folta]

Thanks for the info Erik! It does sound like the best thing to do would be to call him.

 

You are selling a g4+? I'm worried that it won't be enough for a 180 gallon tank. How much are you selling it for, anyway?

[Folta]

Ok, I still haven't bought my skimmer. Thinking one of these two:

 

 

ASM G4x Skimmer

recirc mod

gate valve mod

 

 

-- vs. --

 

My Reef Creations MR-2 Skimmer

Mag 18 (or other recommendation?) feed pump

 

 

Prices are pretty much identical for them. Which is better quality, and skims better?

[xeon]

I think the G4x or G4+ would work great on your tank. The recirculating mod should increase performance. The gate valve does improve the tuning of the ASM skimmer greatly. Otherwise you rely on lowering and raising a pipe... not the easiest or most precise method IMO.

 

MR-2 (Beckett) skimmers work fine too, I just don't like the monster pumps you have to use with them. Different strokes for different folks... I like ASM's and Aqua-C's due to their lower flow needs.

[ErikS]

My .02 -

 

Becketts are good skimmers......with a couple of caveats. They excell at wet skimming, that is truly wet where particles are blown out of the foam & into the cup (3 gallons or so a week of skimmate). I have my questions about there ability to skim dry, the simply process too much water too fast to provide the required contact time - given Escobal's theories on protein removal.

 

In this case, don't bother with the MAG 18 (I really question Andy's recomendation). With a MAG pump, any MAG pump the unit will give you "so-so" performance. To perform their best becketts require a pressure rated pump - which means an external pump (not aware of a single pressure rated submersible pump). The MR-2 would work well with something like a GenX-4 or even better a GenX-55. The GenX-4 burns over 1 amp when running, the 55 even more. The MAG will have a very short life when running a beckett, they don't do well with constant backpressure......and.....you'll be maintaining the pump often. Also factor in that becketts can be loud (part pump & part airflow) though I understand Andy has created a pretty effective muffler.

 

I'm not knocking the becketts - just trying to let you know what you are getting into.

 

Needlewheels aren't the "be all, end all" either. They don't skim wet nearly as well as a beckett. They excell @ dry skimming & they can be a bit tricky to dial in. As you've noticed they aren't nearly as inexpensive to purchase as becketts.

 

As for the mods? IMHO the most critical mod is the recirc mod. This allows you to feed the skimmer directly from the drain - which can as much as double the performance on a given unit. The gate valve simply makes it easier to adjust the water level - but with a bit of patience the sliding tube can be just as effective - it offers NO performance increase.